摘要：Torque teno viruses (TTVs), the most well-known members of the family Anelloviridae, are not associated with any disease. They are one of the most abundant and divergent entities in the viral world; however, the cause of their variability is not currently known. In this study, a set of longitudinally collected serum samples from two HIV-1 infected and two non-infected persons was analyzed for the presence of TTVs and other Anelloviridae using a genera-specific quantitative PCR. The samples positive for TTVs were selected for the quantitative heteroduplex tracking assay (QHTA), which showed repeating patterns of TTV genotypes. Sanger sequencing of the partial viral sequences revealed that the same strains of TTVs are most probably disappearing and returning in different stages of life, with scarcely any new introductions. The partial sequences were grouped into phylogenetic genogroups, and samples representing each of these genogroups were selected for full-length genome sequencing using an in-house optimized rolling circle amplification (RCA)–Illumina protocol.
